Semiautomatic multifunction device-based validation of secure documents

ABSTRACT

A document validation system receives a scan of a certified document. The system identifies a security template for the document, prompts a user to enter a validation document into the scanning device, receives the validation document, uses the security template identify the location of one or more security elements on the certified document, and analyzes the validation document to identify expected content that should appear on the certified document at the security element locations. The system determines whether the expected content matches actual content of the scan at the security element locations and generates a report of the result.

BACKGROUND

Security is an important requirement in many document printingapplications. Since it is well known that a document itself couldrepresent value; a motivation has existed for forgery. The issues ofauthentication and counterfeit deterrence can be important in manycontexts where protecting the information (inherent value of thedocument) is often more important than protecting the physical documentitself. Bills of currency, stock and bond certificates, credit cards,passports, birth certificates bills of lading, as well as many otherlegal documents (e.g., deeds, wills, etc.) all must be reliablyauthentic to be useful.

Hence, protection of both fixed data and variable data is often arequirement in many such documents to prevent counterfeiting andcopying. The phrase “fixed data,” as used in this disclosure, refers todata that remains constant over a plurality of documents. The phrase“variable data,” as used in this disclosure, refers to data that variesbetween documents. Examples of documents containing both fixed andvariable data include personalized checks, university diplomas, currencynotes, deeds for land or buildings, vouchers, permits, tickets, and thelike.

Prior art methods exist to secure such documents and their informationor value by including various types of security elements in thedocuments. However, securing a document is only the first part because aprotected document is effectively unprotected if the protection cannotbe validated. The current techniques do not serve to verify theauthenticity of a particular copy of the information. To validate asecured document, a user must be familiar with the location and identityof the security elements in the document. For example, a user cannottell if a Russian currency note is real by analyzing the securityelements embedded in the currency note if he is unfamiliar with thesecurity elements and/or the bank note. The problem is exacerbated whena user has to validate less common documents such as documents printedon standard paper using standard printing technologies. The currentmethods of validation such as barcodes and warning boxes included on thedocument itself are static, inadequate, obtrusive, and prone totampering or forgery. Furthermore, validation is even more problematicwhen all the documents are inherently different since they containimportant variable data (such as seat numbers in the case of concerttickets).

The present disclosure therefore addresses instances where the issue isnot merely whether the information is authentic, but rather whether theinformation is authentic (and unaltered), and the document itself anoriginal by validating secured or protected documents.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a document validation system includes a processor,optionally a scanning device, and a non-transitory, computer-readablememory containing programming instructions that are configured to causethe processor to receive a scan image of a certified document, identifya security template for the document, and prompt a user to provide avalidation document. When the system receives the validation document inresponse to the prompt, it will use the identified security templateidentify the location of one or more security elements on the certifieddocument, analyze the validation document to identify expected contentthat should appear on the certified document at the security elementlocations, analyze the scan image to identify actual content thatappears on the certified document at the security element locations,determine whether the expected content matches the actual content, andoutput a report of the result to the user indicating whether thecertified document is valid.

The system also may include a scanning device. If so, then the promptmay be a prompt to enter the validation document into the scanningdevice, and the system may receive the validation document via thescanning device.

In one embodiment, to identify the security template, the system mayanalyze the scan image of the certified document to identify one or morecharacteristics of the certified document in the scan image, and it maythen use the identified characteristics to identify the securitytemplate.

In another embodiment, to identify the security template, the systemmay: identify document content comprising one or more words, phrases,text formats, or data structures in the scan image; access a repositoryof security templates; and apply a template matching technique toselect, from the repository, a security template that corresponds to theidentified document content.

In another embodiment, to identify the security template, the system mayidentify a barcode in the scan image, access a repository of securitytemplates, and select from the repository a security template thatcorresponds to the identified barcode.

In another embodiment, to identify the security template, the system mayidentify document content comprising fixed data in the scan image;access a repository of security templates; and apply a template matchingtechnique to select, from the repository, a security template thatcorresponds to the identified document content without reference to anyvariable data in the scan.

In an additional embodiment, to analyze the validation document toidentify expected content that should appear on the certified documentat the security element locations, the system may extract descriptivematerial that includes each of the security element locations andcontent elements that should appear at each of the locations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates various elements of equipment that may be includedwith and/or used by a document validation system

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a printed, secured document withembedded security elements.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram illustrating an example of a documentvalidation process.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a validation user interface.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a validation document created inaccordance with the principles of this disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating various elements of an example ofa computing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used in this document, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skillin the art. As used in this document, the term “comprising” means“including, but not limited to.”

A “computing device” or “electronic device” refers to a device thatincludes a processor and non-transitory, computer-readable memory. Thememory may contain programming instructions that, when executed by theprocessor, cause the computing device to perform one or more operationsaccording to the programming instructions. As used in this description,a “computing device” or “electronic device” may be a single device, orany number of devices having one or more processors that communicatewith each other and share data and/or instructions. Examples ofcomputing devices or electronic devices include, without limitation,personal computers, servers, mainframes, gaming systems, televisions,and portable electronic devices such as smartphones, personal digitalassistants, cameras, tablet computers, laptop computers, media playersand the like. Various elements of an example of a computing device orprocessor are described below in reference to FIG. 6.

In this disclosure, the term “document processing system” refers to asystem that includes one or more processors that are in electroniccommunication with a non-transitory, computer-readable memory containingprogramming instructions that, when executed, cause one or more of theprocessors to implement commands to perform document processingfunctions such as those described above and below.

In this document, the terms “communication” and “electroniccommunication” refer to the ability to transmit data via one or moresignals between two or more electronic devices, whether through a wiredor wireless network, and whether directly or indirectly via one or moreintermediary devices.

“Multi-functional device” or “MFD” refers to a machine comprisinghardware and associated software configured for printing, as well as atleast one other function such as copying, facsimile transmitting orreceiving, scanning, or performing other actions on document-based data.In this document, the term “print device” refers to a device thatperforms printing based on digital data, or a multi-functional device inwhich one of the functions is printing based on digital data. Examplesinclude printers, copiers, plotters, and multi-function devices.

“Security element” refers to a mark printed on or otherwise applied tothe substrate that verifies the authenticity of a document uniquelyenabling a reader of the document to identify the document asoriginating from an authorized source. A security element may be ananti-counterfeiting mark that may include, for example, a micro textmark, a microgloss mark, a correlation mark, GlossMark® text, afluorescent mark, raised seals, watermarks, an infrared mark and/or thelike. In general, the security elements have features that cannot bephotocopied or scanned by ordinary copying devices without altering theappearance of the security element. For example, data encoded asmicrotext may be so small that it is not within the resolution ofordinary copying devices, or if it is within the resolution of anordinary copy device it may be so faint that it could not be copiedwithout also substantially altering the appearance of the background orother information printed on the document.

A “secured document” refers to a document that contains at least onesecurity element that verifies the authenticity of the document.

A “validation document” is a dynamic document created by the documentprocessing system that may be used to convey information, to a user,regarding the authenticity of a secured document. A validation documentmay be outputted to the user in the form of an electronic documentand/or hardcopy printable format.

In this document, “authenticating” or “validating” a document refers todetermining whether the document is an authentic copy of the originaldocument, i.e., whether the document has been altered while it was inthe hard copy form. Alteration may occur due to deliberate effort oraccidental events.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of various hardware elements that may beused to implement the validation of a certified document 100. System 100includes or is connected to one or more networks 101. As used in thisdocument, the term “connected” refers to any configuration in which twoor more devices may share data, programming instructions or otherelectronic communications with each other via wired and/or wirelesscommunications. A user 120 accesses the system by one or more computingdevices 114, which may execute programming instructions to implement theprocesses described below, or which may contain and execute software(such as a browser or other portal software) that allows a user toaccess the system as executed by an external computing device.

Any number of image capture devices (e.g., a card scanner, flatbed imagescanner, MFD, or similar device) 103, and print devices 104 and 106 areconnected to network 101. A networking device 110 such as a router mayserve as a device to route information received via the network 101 toan appropriate print device. Networking device 110 may be any devicecapable of forwarding, routing, or otherwise transmitting packets and/ormessages through a network, and any number of networking devices may bepositioned within or on either side of network 101.

The system also may include one or more data storage facilities 108,such as a database that resides in a computer-readable memory and servesas a document repository, that includes various data files correspondingto documents, document templates and/or security templates (includingsecurity elements) that may be available for validation of a secureddocument. The data storage facilities 108 may include memory portionsthat are physically separate from the user's computing device 114 asshown, and/or they may include memory portions that are part of theuser's computing device 114.

In certain embodiments, the data files may include copies of securedocuments and/or document templates generated by an author from acomputing device included in system 100, and sent to a recipient as anelectronic document or a hard copy document. For example, a secureddocument may be mailed or e-mailed to a recipient with the expectationof receiving the secured document back at some point in the future,potentially with additional information added to the secured document.Examples may include bank checks, diploma certificates, tickets,permits, deeds, and other such documents sent to the respective issuingauthority (primary recipient). In certain embodiments, the primaryrecipient may provide the system 100 with data regarding potentialsecondary recipients, which may include name, address, e-mail, and othercontact and permission information. Such information may also be storedas data files in the data storage facilities 108.

The systems described in this document may include implementations thatare embodied in a print device, an image capture device, a computingdevice with a connected print device, a software program a cloud basedsystem, or any combination of these items.

There are many situations in which a user may require a secured copy ofa document. A secured copy is a printed document that contains one ormore security elements that serve as an indicator that the document wasgenerated by an authorized entity. The authorized entity may be afederal, state or local government agency, or an entity to whomauthorization is delegated, such as an automobile association or notarypublic. The system described below enables individuals who are notnecessarily familiar with the location and/or identity of the securityelements included in a document, in verifying the authenticity of thedocument.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a printed, secured document 200 withembedded security elements, presented for validation to a verifier(user). The secured document 200 may include variable data, such as name201 and address 202 of a secondary recipient. The secured document mayalso include fixed data, such as the name of the issuing authority(primary recipient) 203 and various security elements such as text orother images containing embedded correlation mark text, a pantograph,data printed with microgloss, hidden text, watermarks, and other suchelements. A correlation mark is an example of a security mark thatincludes one or more elements that are invisible or hardly visible on aprinted document. The hidden elements become visible when the documentis viewed through a correlation mask that serves as a “key” to thecorrelation mark. Some or all of the security elements may not be easilydiscernible to the human eye, but they may be visible with one or moremechanical or other aids, such as magnification, oblique illumination,exposure to infrared light, or other aids. It should be understood thatthe document shown in FIG. 2 is merely illustrative of the types ofsecured documents and various elements that can be combined to form asecurity document.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example secured document validation process. Theprocess may begin when a physical version of the secured document isreceived 301. The receiving 301 may be the initial generation of thedocument. Or, if the receiving 301 is done after distribution, then thedocument may be scanned at an image capture device such as an MFD andconverted to an electronic format.

FIG. 4 shows a document scan interface 400 such as a security testscreen that displays the options for scanning and/or validation of adocument, including without limitation, destination and/or a recipient401 and scan quality parameters 402. Examples of scan quality parametersmay include, without limitation, a resolution of scan image, fileformat, file size, and output color. Example file formats include DOC,TXT, PDF, JPG, GIF, HTML, and XML, and the others known in the artsupporting text, image, and/or multi-media content. Some or all of thefeatures of the interface 400 may be preset. For example, in anembodiment, scan quality parameters may be preset such that thevalidation of the document is easier to perform and more reliable. Forexample, the resolution of the scan image may be preset to 300 dpi inJPG format, which may make it possible to decode a majority of securityelements present in the validation document. In other embodiments, thesystem may enable a user to adjust some or all of the available options.For example, the system may enable a user to select a destination and/ora recipient of the scan image or validation results by any suitablemeans, such as email or another format. It should be noted that theinterface 400 does not allow a user to select a category or type of adocument for scanning and/or validation, thus further preventing forgeryattempts by a secured document holder.

Although FIG. 4 illustrates a user interface as being implemented on anelectronic display device, it is contemplated that it may be implementedin whole or in part by audio commands, such as by outputting an audibledescription of the scan quality parameters, and/or receiving voicecommands and using any now or hereafter known process of recognizing andimplemented the commands that are received.

Returning to FIG. 3, in step 301, when receiving the secured document,the system may receive a scan image of the secured document, inaccordance with the user-defined and/or preset scan quality parameters.As explained above, the scan image may be received in a mailbox, afolder, or other similar destination, in response to a user selection.The scan image may be received by one or more electronic devices thatare in electronic communication with one or more networked image capturedevices. The scan image may include, without limitation, informationsuch as document scan data, meta-data, and sender information.

The system may then identify a security template corresponding to thescan image of the secured document (step 302). In this step, the systemmay access a data set of available documents and/or security templatesand compare the identifying metadata, rules or other criteria of eachcandidate template to various corresponding characteristics of the scanimage. As discussed above, a document repository may include data filesof secured documents, document templates and/or security templatesgenerated by an author from a computing device included in the system.The system may process the secured documents to identify correspondingsecurity templates. A security template can be a combination of words,phrases, text formats, data structure, security level associated withthe template, and the like that generally describes one or morecharacteristics of the secured documents. Security templates aretypically, although not necessarily, generated at the time of documentcreation. A document may have a single security template, or it may havemultiple security templates that each apply to various subparts of thedocument.

In an embodiment, the system may extract a barcode from the scan imageand use the information embedded within the barcode to identify asecurity template from the repository.

In some other embodiments, the system may analyze the scan image(including document scan data, meta-data, and sender information) of thesecured document to identify whether the secured document matches any ofthe security templates. The system may search for the closest matchusing known template matching techniques. For example, the securitytemplate may be identified by analyzing the text content of the secureddocument. In some embodiments, the system may perform a characterrecognition process to convert bitmap or other graphically formatteddocuments into text content to be processed. Such character recognitionprocesses are well known in the art. Alternatively and or additionally,a security template may be identified using known methods of imageprocessing and pattern matching. In certain other embodiments, thesystem may identify a security template by indexing and searching fortemplate tags, keywords, template descriptors or other such identifiers.The above techniques are provided by way of example only and othertemplate identification techniques and/or combination of techniques arewithin the scope of this disclosure.

In some embodiments, identification of the security template may includeanalyzing all the information on the secured document and finding theclosest match using one or more matching techniques as discussed above.

Additionally and or alternatively, the system may emphasize localattributes of the secured document over the global attributes foridentifying a security template. For example, the existence of a largeheader may be an indication that the secured document is a type of acertificate, and the system may first search for a security templatematch in the certificate templates category. Similarly, if the size ofthe secured document is similar to that of currency bills, the systemmay search for a security template match in the currency bills category.The use of attributes is for illustration purposes only and othersimilar local attributes may be used for identifying the securitytemplate.

Optionally, the security templates also may include metadata identifyingthe types of document with which the templates may be used, and whenaccessing the data set to identify a security template, the system mayrequire that the returned security templates only include those that maybe used with the particular type of secured document. Optionally, somesecurity templates may be mandated by a certifying organization, inwhich case the system may only search for a template from a set ofpre-approved templates.

In certain embodiments, a secured document may match more than onesecurity template. The system may then request the image capture devicefor additional metadata and/or other types of data in order toaccurately identify one security template corresponding to the secureddocument. Examples of such data may include, without limitation,security elements that do not survive the scanning process, such asGlossMark or UV Fluorescence Marks.

If no matching security template is available, the system may determinethat it cannot validate the document, and it may output this informationto the user. However, if a security template is available, then afteridentifying the security template the system may then identify thedecodable security elements included in the scan image (step 303). Thesystem may analyze the security template corresponding to the secureddocument to identify, among other things, the security elements andtheir location.

The system may also identify whether or not the security elements aredecodable based on information such as scan capability of the imagecapture device, export capability, scan quality parameters, and othersimilar information. For example, a holographic mark may not bedecodable from a scan image. The system may then decode (step 305) thedecodable security elements. Any known prior art decoding techniques maybe used for decoding the security elements. For example, the system maydecode a correlation mark included in the secured document by using akey or by estimating the frequency of the printed correlation mark,generating a decoding template using the estimated frequency, andapplying the template to an image of the correlation mark to detecthidden content. In certain embodiments, the system may obtain adecryption key for decoding a security element. The above decodingtechniques are by way of example only and any other techniques known inthe art are within the scope of this disclosure.

The system may then perform a character recognition process to identifyvariable data (step 305) from the variable data fields on the secureddocument. If the system is not able to discern all of the variable data,it may generate and output a prompt (step 306) that asks the user toinput the undiscernible variable data, and it will then receive thevariable data from the user via a user interface in response to theprompt.

The system may add the identity, location, decoded information for thesecurity elements, and the variable data to the metadata for the secureddocument, which may then be used in the validation of the secureddocument and creation of the validation document, as discussed below.

In step 307, the system may create a validation document based on thesecurity template and the metadata for the secured document. Asdiscussed above, a validation document is a dynamic document created forthe validation of a secured document.

As shown in FIG. 5, a validation document 500 may include annotations501 with local identifiers, 502, 503, 504, 505, and 506 for the staticdata (including security elements) and/or the variable data. Thus, atsome point in time after a validation document is created, the systemmay use the identified security template from a validation document todetermine if the data and elements of a secured document are authentic.Additionally and/or alternatively, the system may provide instructionsto the user such that the user may determine whether the data andelements are authentic, where the system cannot decode the securityelements or cannot determine the authenticity of the variable data.

The system may execute one or more rules to generate the unique dynamicvalidation document corresponding to the secured document. For example,the rules may include rules to retrieve identifying information aboutthe source of the document (such as a user name or other identifier,certificate holder name, an office identifier, or a requesting entityidentifier), the time and/or date of printing, a unique serial code,icon, image or seal, and rules to cause the identifying information tobe included in the validation document in accordance with rules of theidentified security template. In some embodiments, the rules may causethe system to use the security template to identify the securityelements, and their location.

For example, the security template may include information relating tothe location and types of various security elements in the document. Thesystem may then analyze the document content at those locations andpopulate the validation document with the analyzed content inassociation with the known security element locations. An example ofthis is shown in FIG. 5, where the security template indicates that aheader element 501 will contain certain text, and the system may use anysuitable document scanning technique to identify the text at thatlocation, or the template may require certain text at that location. Thevalidation document may then include a description 511 of the locationand content that corresponds to that security element. Similarly,additional validation descriptions 512-513 describing the location andvalues of various security elements are also shown in validationdocument 500. Optionally, the system may create the validation documentautomatically without requiring any user input other than the initialvalidation document creation request.

In some embodiments, the rules may cause the system to extract actualdata or information that should be present on the secured document (forexample, from stored original document copy) and use suitable techniquessuch as character recognition to verify the data on the secureddocument. In some other embodiments, the rules may cause the system tocreate annotations that may instruct a user to decode security elements.Examples with respect to FIG. 5 are discussed below.

As shown in FIG. 5, from the security template, the system may inferthat the original document used microgloss (1) which cannot be scannedand/or copied and thus cannot be decoded by the system. The systemtherefore includes an annotation 502 that may enable the user to verifythe microgloss on the secured document by including informationregarding the steps and output of the verification process. The locationof the microgloss may be marked using local identifiers on a copy of thedocument.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the system may infer from the securitytemplate that the original document used microtext in the large number(2) that is repeating the number. Since, microtext cannot be copiedand/or scanned and thus cannot be decoded by the system, the system mayexplain the connection between macro and micro information in thevalidation document as annotation 503, such that the user may verify theauthenticity of the microtext. The location of the Microtext may bemarked using local identifiers on a copy of the document. In certainembodiments (not shown here), the system may use character recognitiontechniques (discussed above) to read the macro text (“35”) and simplyinstruct the user to verify whether the microtext also reads “35.”

Similarly, the system may infer from the security template that theoriginal document used microtext in the thin lines (3) that are variableand contain the same information as the large font above the lines.Since, microtext cannot be copied and/or scanned and thus cannot bedecoded by the system, the system may explain the connection betweenmacro and micro information in the validation document as annotation504, such that the user may verify the authenticity of the macrotext(i.e., the non-microtext).

The system may also extract the name of the certificate holder, ifavailable, from the data repository and may either instruct the user toverify the name (505), and/or may use character recognition techniquesto verify the name automatically. As discussed above, the name of thecertificate holder may be available in the data repository if theoriginal certificate was created using a computing device included inthe system. In certain embodiments, the name of the certificate holderand/or its location may be encoded as a security element on the secureddocument and the system may decode and/or provide instructions to theuser to decode the security element and recover the name.

Additionally the system may identify the location of a correlation markin the secured document (in this case from the two gray sidebars), anddecode the correlation mark information as discussed above. The systemmay include the decoded information on the validation document 506. Incertain embodiments, the system may provide the user with instructionsto decode the correlation mark. Examples of such instruction mayinclude, without limitation, location of a correlation mark key.

It should be noted that the validation document as shown in FIG. 5 ismerely illustrative of the types of validation documents and variousannotations, tags, and verifications that can be combined to form avalidation document. The validation document may also include othermetadata received from the user and/or extracted from the image scan, asdiscussed above.

Returning to FIG. 3, the system may output (in step 308) the validationdocument to the user (verifier) as an electronic document and/or ahardcopy document. In some embodiments, the system may display and/orprint the validation document on the MFD that captured the scan image ofthe secured document. In some embodiments, the system may display and/orprint the validation document on a computing device or print deviceother than the MFD that captured the scan image of the secured document.

In certain embodiments, the validation document outputted to the usermay include at least one security element. The security element may beselected based on the mode of outputting the validation document, levelof security desired, and other such information.

The user may then verify the authenticity of the secured document usingthe validation document. It should be noted that unlike a static printcontained on the secured document itself, a dynamic validation documentcannot be forged or altered by a document holder because it is createdby a verifier at the time of authentication and is not a part of thedocument itself. Examples of how this may be performed are illustratedin the not-yet-described elements of FIG. 3. The system receives a scanthat is an image file of a certified document 311. The scan may begenerated by a scanning device of the system, or the system may receivethe scan as a data file. The system may identify a security template 312for the certified document using by analyzing the scan using processessuch as those described above for generating the validation document.

The system may prompt a user to enter a validation document into thesystem and thus cause the system to receive the validation document 313.The input and receipt may be via a scanning device, via an electronicfile transfer, by receipt of a user selection of one of a set ofcandidate validation documents that are displayed on a user interface,or by some other user input means. After the system receives thevalidation document, it may apply data from the validation document tothe security template 314 by: (i) extracting from the identifiedsecurity template the location of one or more security elements on thecertified document; (ii) analyzing the validation document to identifyexpected content that should appear on the certified document at theidentified security element locations; (iii) analyzing the scan of thecertified document to identify actual content that appears on thecertified document at the identified security element locations; and(iv) determining whether the expected content matches the actualcontent. The system may the output a report of the validation to theuser 315. The validation report may include a description or report ofwhether or not the scanned document contains the expected securityelements.

It is notable that when identifying the security element locations, thesystem need not necessarily identify all security element locations inthe document and/or report all comparisons of actual vs. expectedcontent to the user. Some security element locations may includemetadata that serves as a command to the system that the locationsshould not be described in a validation report, while other securityelements may be obscured to not be detectable by the system.

FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of an example of internal hardware thatmay be used to contain or implement program instructions, such as theprocess steps discussed above, according to embodiments. A bus 600serves as an information highway interconnecting the other illustratedcomponents of the hardware. CPU 605 represents one or more processors ofthe system, performing calculations and logic operations required toexecute a program. CPU 605, alone or in conjunction with one or more ofthe other elements disclosed in FIG. 7, is an example of a processingdevice, computing device or processor as such terms are used within thisdisclosure. Read only memory (ROM) 610 and random access memory (RAM)615 constitute examples of memory devices or processor-readable storagemedia.

A controller 620 interfaces with one or more optional tangible,computer-readable memory devices 625 to the system bus 600. These memorydevices 612 may include, for example, an external or internal diskdrive, a hard drive, flash memory, a USB drive or the like. As indicatedpreviously, these various drives and controllers are optional devices.

Program instructions, software or interactive modules for providing theinterface and performing any querying or analysis associated with one ormore data sets may be stored in the ROM 610 and/or the RAM 615.Optionally, the program instructions may be stored on a tangiblecomputer readable medium 625 such as a compact disk, a digital disk,flash memory, a memory card, a USB drive, an optical disc storagemedium, such as a Blu-Ray™ disc, and/or other recording mediumcontrolled via a disk controller 620

An optional display interface 640 may permit information from the bus600 to be displayed on the display 645 in audio, visual, graphic oralphanumeric format. Communication with external devices, such as aprinting device, may occur using various communication ports 650. Acommunication port 650 may be attached to a communications network, suchas the Internet or an intranet.

The hardware may also include an interface 655 which allows for receiptof data from input devices such as a keyboard 660 or other input device665 such as a mouse, a joystick, a touch screen, a remote control, apointing device, a video input device and/or an audio input device.

The above-disclosed features and functions, as well as alternatives, maybe combined into many other different systems or applications. Variouspresently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications,variations or improvements may be made by those skilled in the art, eachof which is also intended to be encompassed by the disclosedembodiments.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A document validation system, comprising: aprocessor; and a non-transitory, computer-readable memory containingprogramming instructions that are configured to cause the processor to:receive a scan image of a certified document, access a repository ofsecurity templates and identify and retrieve, from the repository, asecurity template for the document, wherein the security templatecomprises one or more security element locations, prompt a user toprovide a validation document, receive the validation document inresponse to the prompt, wherein the validation document comprisescontent that should appear at one or more of the security elementlocations, use the identified security template to identify the locationof one or more security elements on the certified document thatcorrespond to one or more of the security element locations of theidentified security template, apply the validation document to theidentified security template to identify expected content that shouldappear on the certified document at the identified one or more securityelement locations on the certified document, analyze the scan image toidentify actual content that appears on the certified document at theidentified one or more security element locations on the certifieddocument, determine whether the expected content matches the actualcontent, and output a report of the result to the user.
 2. The system ofclaim 1: further comprising a scanning device; and wherein theinstructions that are configured to receive the validation documentcomprise instructions to receive the validation document via thescanning device.
 3. The system of claim 1, where the instructions toidentify the security template comprise instructions to: analyze thescan image of the certified document to identify one or morecharacteristics of the certified document in the scan image; and use theidentified characteristics to identify the security template.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the instructions to identify the securitytemplate comprise instructions to: identify document content comprisingone or more words, phrases, text formats, or data structures in the scanimage; and apply a template matching technique to select, from therepository, a security template that corresponds to the identifieddocument content.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions toidentify the security template comprise instructions to: identify abarcode in the scan image; and select, from the repository, a securitytemplate that corresponds to the identified barcode.
 6. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the instructions to identify the security templatecomprise instructions to: identify document content comprising fixeddata in the scan image; and apply a template matching technique toselect, from the repository, a security template that corresponds to theidentified document content without reference to any variable data inthe scan.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions to applythe validation document to the identified security template to identifyexpected content that should appear on the certified document at the oneor more security element locations on the certified document compriseinstructions to extract descriptive material that includes each of thesecurity element locations on the certified document and contentelements that should appear at each of the security element locations onthe certified document.
 8. A method of validating a document,comprising: by a processor, implementing programming instructions thatare configured to cause the processor to implement a document validationprocess that comprises: receiving a scan image of a certified document,accessing a repository of security templates and identifying andretrieving, from the repository, a security template for the document,wherein the identified security template comprises one or more securityelement locations, prompting a user to provide a validation document,receiving the validation document in response to the prompt, wherein thevalidation document comprises content that should appear at one or moreof the security element locations, using the identified securitytemplate to identify the location of one or more security elements onthe certified document that correspond to one or more of the securityelement locations of the identified security template, applying thevalidation document to the identified security template to identifyexpected content that should appear on the certified document at theidentified one or more security element locations on the certifieddocument, analyzing the scan image to identify actual content thatappears on the certified document at the identified one or more securityelement locations on the certified document; determining whether theexpected content matches the actual content; and outputting a report ofthe result to the user.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein: prompting theuser to provide the validation document comprises prompting the user toenter the validation document in a scanning device; and receiving thevalidation document comprises receiving the validation document via thescanning device.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying thesecurity template comprises: analyzing the scan image of the certifieddocument to identify one or more characteristics of the certifieddocument in the scan image; and using the identified characteristics toidentify the security template.
 11. The method of claim 8, whereinidentifying the security template comprises: identifying documentcontent comprising one or more words, phrases, text formats, or datastructures in the scan image; and applying a template matching techniqueto select, from the repository, a security template that corresponds tothe identified document content.
 12. The method of claim 8, whereinidentifying the security template comprises: identifying a barcode inthe scan image; and selecting, from the repository, a security templatethat corresponds to the identified barcode.
 13. The method of claim 8,wherein identifying the security template comprises: identifyingdocument content comprising fixed data in the scan image; and applying atemplate matching technique to select, from the repository, a securitytemplate that corresponds to the identified document content withoutreference to any variable data in the scan.
 14. The method of claim 8,wherein applying the validation document to the identified securitytemplate to identify expected content that should appear on thecertified document at the security element locations comprisesextracting descriptive material that includes each of the securityelement locations and content elements that should appear at each of thelocations.
 15. A document validation system, comprising: a processor; ascanning device configured to receive a certified document and generatea scan image of the certified document; and a non-transitory,computer-readable memory containing programming instructions that areconfigured to cause the processor to: receive the scan image of thecertified document, analyze the scan image to identify one or morecharacteristics of, or document content in, the certified documentaccess a repository of security templates and use the identifiedcharacteristics or document content to identify and retrieve, from therepository, a security template for the document, wherein the identifiedsecurity template comprises one or more security element locations,receive a validation document via the scanning device, wherein thevalidation document comprises content that should appear at one or moreof the security element locations, use the identified security templateto identify the location of one or more security elements on thecertified document that correspond to one or more of the securitylocations of the identified security template, apply the validationdocument to the identified security template to identify expectedcontent that should appear on the certified document at the identifiedone or more security element locations on the certified document,analyze the scan image to identify actual content that appears on thecertified document at the identified one or more security elementlocations on the certified document, determine whether the expectedcontent matches the actual content, and output a report of the result.16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions to identify thesecurity template comprise instructions to: identify document contentcomprising one or more words, phrases, text formats, or data structuresin the scan image; and apply a template matching technique to select,from the repository, a security template that corresponds to theidentified document content.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein theinstructions to identify the security template comprise instructions to:identify a barcode in the scan image; and select, from the repository, asecurity template that corresponds to the identified barcode.
 18. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the instructions to identify the securitytemplate comprise instructions to: identify fixed data in the scanimage; and apply a template matching technique to select, from therepository, a security template that corresponds to the identifieddocument content without reference to any variable data in the scan. 19.The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions to apply the validationdocument to the identified security template to identify expectedcontent that should appear on the certified document at the one or moresecurity element locations on the certified document compriseinstructions to extract descriptive material includes each of thesecurity element locations on the certified document and contentelements that should appear at each of the security element locations onthe certified document.